National
Road fatalities drop by a massive 40 percent in Spain this Easter
By m.p.
Mar 25, 2008 - 10:28 PM

The final figures for fatalities on Spanish roads this Easter are 63, in the Traffic Authority operation which began on 14th March and ended at midnight on Monday night, the 24th of the month. There were 54 accidents on the roads, where 26 people were seriously injured and another 34 less seriously so.

The Acting Interior Minister, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, described the number of deaths as ‘enormously tragic’ but exceptional compared with Semana Santa 2007, when 103 people lost their lives. It’s a marked difference of around 40%, and he put it down to measures brought in over the past four years which are now beginning to bear fruit. And in fact, it’s the first time since records first began that fatalities have dropped below the 100 mark.

EFE image of a motorbike accident.

The Minister noted not only a lower figure overall, but also, as El País reports, in almost all cases – times of day, the type of vehicle, and the ages of those involved. The number of motorbike or moped deaths is seen as a ‘relatively good’ result, up by three on 2007, but still well below fatalities for previous years.

The new Penal Code, with the threat of a spell in prison for driving offences, is seen by the road assistance organisation, RACE, as a strong contributory factor in the lower number of deaths, together with the new points system for driving licences.